


Love and Affection

by StoriomaniacGirl1



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-16 20:28:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18698593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoriomaniacGirl1/pseuds/StoriomaniacGirl1
Summary: Meredith finally gets her happy ending after Derek.





	Love and Affection

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Merlex songfic, because this couple just keeps getting stuck in my head and I love them both. (the song is Love and Affection by Matt White)

_Guess I'll be waitin' for the time that I'm sayin'_  
That I'm ready to come back home  


Meredith opened the door to her blissfully quiet house to find Alex already sitting on the couch, re-watching a tape of one of her mothers old surgeries. Arizona had the kids that night, Amelia was staying with Owen for a few nights, and Maggie had a late case and decided to stay at the hospital in case they needed her. 

"I thought I saw the last of these tapes when Izzie moved out," Meredith chucked, dropping her bag by the door and then walking over to flop down on the couch next to Alex. 

"Huh?" Alex tore his attention away from the procedure to look at Meredith, "Oh, yeah. I have a hard procedure tomorrow, and it's my first time doing it. I figure there's no one better then an evil mother to learn it from."

"What's the surgery?"

"It's on a six year old boy with MALS, and I'm doing it laparoscopically."

Meredith whistled out of respect for the rare and difficult surgery her best friend would be performing tomorrow. "I didn't know my mother ever got to do one of these."

"Yeah. Iz never looked at the peds surgeries; they made her sad."

 

 

_While the world seems so crazy and you're angry  
And I tell you this is rightfully so_

 

Meredith looked over at Alex, seeing the pained look on his face as he thought about Izzie. Or maybe it was just from thinking about the kid he was treating who had been in pain for years. It was probably Izzie, though. Although it had been years since Izzie left him, Meredith could still see how much Izzie hurt him. 

Izzie had been one of Meredith's closest friends, but she wasn't sure she could ever forgive Izzie for what she had done to Alex. For a long while after Izzie left, Meredith knew that Alex had felt like he wasn't good enough for Iz, an that was why she left. Meredith subconciously shook her head. 

Alex was the one who deserved better then Izzie. 

"You know," Meredith turned to talk to Alex, "She was wrong."

"What are you talking about?"

"Izzie," With that Alex turned to look at Meredith. She just shrugged, "She was wrong about you not being good enough for her. If anything, you deserve a better love then the one you had with Izzie."

"Why are we talking about this now?"

"I just thought you should know."

"Oh. Okay."

 

 _All our friends are gettin' married_  
And they're happy and they're sappy  
Even though they might be feelin' so old

 

It has been years since Derek died, and although Meredith still misses him everyday, she thinks maybe it's time to find a new happily ever after. So many of her friends and family are settling down with first, or second, or third loves. Even Kepner has someone. 

But her and Alex were still alone. Well, not alone, exactly, but single. After Jo rejected Alex's proposal yet another time, he had moved back into Mer's house. For a month or so, he had looked at Jo like he would never stop being in love with her, but now... 

Now he was over her. 

For years, both Alex and Meredith had just wanted an adventure; now, though, they wanted to start their new happily ever afters.

 

_And when I'm feeling so lonely and you tell me  
That you love just for my soul and then I'll sing_

 

 

"Mer?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever think about getting married again?" 

There was a long pause before her answer.

"Yeah, I do. How about you?"

"I don't know. I think it's be hard for me to trust anyone, really, after my last three disasters of relationships."

"That's not true," Meredith got a glare Alex, "You trust me."

Neither of them spoke for a few moments, and Meredith thought that she might have messed everything up being saying that.

"That's different," Alex smirked at her, but his eyes were serious.

"How so?"

 

_I will offer you love and affection  
And all of my warmth and protection_

 

"You're not in love with me."

Meredith froze, unable to answer. Even just a year ago she would have laughed and agreed with him, but now she couldn't. The would be lying, and -- although lying was something Meredith excelled at -- she couldn't lie to her person. 

She loved him with all that was left of her heart. There was no use denying it now. Not now when what she loved most was the feeling of warmth that washed over her every time she saw him. 

 

_It is just you and I against the world_

 

"I've known you for so long, Alex. I think of home, and you're there. I think of the future and you're there. Every time I see you feel a little less broken then the last. You've seen me through everything. When I lost Lexie, When I lost Derek, when Cristina moved away. When I was attacked, you were at my bedside every minute."

"Mer, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that for a long while now, it's just been you and I'm saying once you've know someone like you for this long, it's hard not to love them."

"Mer, I--"

"No, wait."

"Alright."

"I've seen you be hurt by Iz, and by Ava, and by Jo, now, too. I never want to see you hurt, Alex. You're my person."

"You can't just marry someone because you don't want them to get hurt."

He realized what he had said too late to take it back. Of course he had gone too far, even for Mer, and now she was going to run away like everyone else.

"I wouldn't," Meredith sounded shocked, and Alex prepared himself for the let down. "I would marry you because I'm in love with you."

 

_And fallin' down she said she'd cry with me_   
_I don't know what I said to cause the tension_

 

The room filled with a clean cut silence. Not a comfortable one, like normal.

 

Alex took Meredith's hand in his, "You know I'm not good with words,"

"I do," Meredith chuckled.

"But I'm gonna try anyways, okay?"

"Okay," Meredith nodded in agreement.

"I love you, too. Not since the very start, like in fairy tales. Not in a huge explode the earth kind of way. I love you in a, 'You're my happily ever after' way. I love in a, 'You're my forever' way. I love you in a 'I was all of our friends to know' way, and a, 'kiss you goodbye or good luck or just kiss you' kind of way," Alex was running out of breath.

"Hey," Meredith squeezed his hand tight, "It's okay."

 

_And all the problems with the money  
Is so funny cause I don't care 'bout it _ _nothin' at all_

 

"I love you in all of those ways, too," Meredith was grinning. "And you already live hear, so that's not a problem."

"And your kids love me," Alex laughed.

"Yes, and the kids love you like you're a parent."

"So we're doing this?"

"Yeah, we are," Meredith scooted closer and leaned in to kiss Alex.

 

 _Oh we came together we were lovin' on the table_  
We were lovin' on the floor  
We were lovin' where it's able

 

The kiss wasn't like kissing Derek, or like kissing Nathan. It wasn't new, and it wasn't old. It felt like settling into something that had always been coming. It was coming home to see the fireworks on the fourth of July. 

When they broke away, Alex wrapped his arms around Meredith and she sunk into his arms. 

Being with Alex made her feel infinite. That was the only way she could think to describe it.

 

_And all the words and the wild nights we spent  
And the spoonin' _

 

Alex pressed play on the surgery tape, and they cuddled for a few minutes, watching the genius and monster that was Ellis grey.

"So about earlier," Alex started, purposefully not looking at Meredith,"Was that a marriage proposal or plan or whatever? I mean, it doesn't have to be, but..."

"Do you want it to be?"

"Sure," his tone was nonchalant, but Meredith could hear his heart beating a million miles a minute. 

"Alex, you have to answer. You know I won't leave you, no matter what you say."

"Fine," Alex sighed, "I want it to be proposal or plan or whatever."

 

_and the fire  
Then you look at me and I say_

 

"Good," Mer smiled up at him, "Because I want it to be one, too."

"Okay, so--"

Alex was interrupted by Meredith's phone ringing.

"Just a sec, this is Cristina," she stood up, her finger hovering over the answer button, "I'll tell her, okay?"

"Why would I ever want to hide the fact that I'm going to marry you?"

Meredith just smiled and kissed him quickly before wandering into the entrance hall to talk with Cristina.

"Hey, what's going on with you?" Cristina's voice was sharp from a long day, but it softened when she heard her best friend's voice. 

"Cristina, I'm going to tell you something, and you have to promise to be happy for me," Meredith was trying hard not to let an ounce of excitement into her voice, but she wasn't sure if it was entirely working. 

"Okay, what is it?"

"I just got engaged!"

"You what? Why would you think I wouldn't be happy for you about this?" Meredith didn't answer, and she knew Cristina would figure it out in a few seconds anyways. "Wait a minute, who are you engaged to? Last I heard you weren't dating anyone... Wait a minute--"

"Remember, you promised to be happy for me!"

"Oh my God, you're marrying Alex?"

"Yes?"

"Is that a question or an answer?"

"An answer," Meredith closed her eyes tightly, hoping Cristina wouldn't explode.

"I think that's good, actually."

"You do?"

"He takes care of you, Mer. And I know you love each other. Mer, I get more news about you from his then I do from you, and vise versa."

"Sorry about that. So, are you going to come?"

"For your wedding to Karev? I'd cancel a heart transplant."

"Thanks. I'm really happy about this, you know."

"I know. But if you run away, I'm going to kill you. Tell Karev that the same goes for him."

"I will. But this time, I don't think either of us will run again for the rest of our lives."

 

 _I will offer you love and affection_  
And all of my warmth and protection  
It will be you and I against the world  


 

Meredith hung up the phone and walked back over to sit beside Alex again.

"What'd she have to say?" Alex sounded nervous. He knew that if Cristina was upset about this, Meredith would be broken.

"She said she was really happy for us, but if either of us runs away, she'll kill us."

"Sounds like Christina."

"Yeah. Hey, do I have to wear a white dress?"

"For what?"

"For our wedding, Alex."

"Oh," He took a moment to think, "Of course not. I always thought if we got married that you would be in blue, for some reason."

"You thought about us getting married before this?"

"Well, yeah."

"Good. Because I have, too. A lot, actually."

 

_Oh baby  
It'll be you and I against the world_

 

"So, I'm guessing I should turn the surgery off in favor of wedding planning?"

"Do you think you can do the surgery well tomorrow if you stop watching now?" Meredith wanted to talk more, but she knew surgery on a patient was a lot more important.

"Yeah, I'll be good."

"Then, sure. I never liked wedding planning before, but I have a feeling the kids are going to go crazy on it if we don't figure out some things before hand."

"The kids?"

Meredith shrugged, "At this point, they're as much your kids as mine."

Alex smiled. 

"Okay, so obviously, Christina is my maid of honor."

"And I call Robbins as best man."

"Can Richard be the one to marry us?" Technically, Thatcher was her father, but he had abandoned her and never looked back. If anyone were her dad, it was Richard.

"Of course. And the kids--" Alex paled suddenly, "Mer, what if the kids aren't okay with us getting married?"

Meredith laughed. 

"I'm being serious, what if they aren't okay with us?"

"I know, I know, it's just..." Meredith took a second to catch her breath before finishing the sentence,"Zola was asking me why  I haven't married you yet just last week. Bailey, well, you know how many we've had to correct him from calling you 'Dad' and he still does it. Ellis never even met Derek. And although Derek's always going to be their dad -- biologically and somewhat emotionally -- they love you like they would a father."

 

_Let's spend the days doin' nothin'  
Nothin' to say or worry_

 

"And the kids love hanging out with you."

"I love hanging out with them, too," Alex let out a happy sigh, "I can't wait to spend every day with you and the kids once we're officially married. I don't even care if it's exciting or profound; I just want this to be my home."

"Alex, this has been your home from pretty close to the start. You know that."

 

_This could be startin' somethin'  
Don't have to end this story..._

 

"I do know that."

"So," Meredith smiled at him again, "my dress for that day will be blue. And I think the kids should walk me down the isle."

"I agree. But no flowers, okay?"

Meredith looked at him quizzically.

"We're both screw up, and we're dark and twisty, and people who are dark and twisty don't have flowers at their wedding."

"Alright, so no flowers. And no pink."

"Agreed."

 

_I will offer you love and affection  
And all of my warmth and protection_

 

"Hey, Mer, what would you think about leaving four seats open in the front row?"

"For what?"

"One for each person: George, Mark, Derek, and --"

"And Lexie." Meredith paused for a moment, remember me sister's bright smile. "I like that idea. But we have to put flowers on Lexie's chair. Because she was bright and shine, and she would have insisted that flowers were the most romantic."

"I wouldn't want it any other way. But, you have to agree, flowers are not the most romantic."

 

_It is just you and I against the world_

 

"We're getting married."

"Yeah," Alex wrapped an arm around Meredith's waist, pulling her closer, "You still good to not run?"

"I'm never running from you. You're my person."

 

_Oh... Tell me baby  
It is just you and I against the world_

 

"I can't wait to marry you."

"I can't wait to marry you, either," Meredith relaxed her head against Alex's chest, hearing his heart beat, "Now, let's finish watching my mother perform a surgery you have to be great at by tomorrow."

 

_Oh... Oh... Will you tell me_

 

As they sat there watching the intricate surgery, neither ever had a doubt in their mind. This was the new happily ever after they both deserved.

 

_It is just you and I against the world_

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I hope you guys liked my story! I know it kind of went from 1 to 100 pretty quickly, but I hope it was still enjoyable! This is my first story in the Grey's universe. Please review!


End file.
